JIMI HENDRIX IN HOSPITAL, RUMORS ABOUND OVER DRUG OVERDOSE
- The New York Times, September 19th 1970
"There were two phases in the life of Jimi Hendrix.
The first phase saw a young, wild Jimi growing up, learning how to play an acoustic guitar at the age of 15 and quickly improving, until the point that he was considered by many to be one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Young Jimi got into trouble; in 1961, the 18-year-old delinquent was arrested for car thievery, and was offered two choices: Go to jail, or enlist in the Army. Private Hendrix served in the Army for only one year, constantly getting in trouble and finally being discharged after Uncle Sam had had enough of him.
- The New York Times, September 19th 1970
"There were two phases in the life of Jimi Hendrix.
The first phase saw a young, wild Jimi growing up, learning how to play an acoustic guitar at the age of 15 and quickly improving, until the point that he was considered by many to be one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Young Jimi got into trouble; in 1961, the 18-year-old delinquent was arrested for car thievery, and was offered two choices: Go to jail, or enlist in the Army. Private Hendrix served in the Army for only one year, constantly getting in trouble and finally being discharged after Uncle Sam had had enough of him.
Jimi then became the rock-and-roll star that he was known for in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He released several hit albums in the late '60s which made him famous - Are You Experienced, Axis: Bold As Love, and Electric Ladyland would be the three hits of the Jimi Hendrix Experience (Noel Redding at bass and Mitch Mitchells at drums). After the JHE dissolved in 1968, Hendrix formed the Band of Gypsies with Billy Cox at bass and Buddy Miles at the drums. They would release on live album, The Band of Gypsies, in 1970. Hendrix also became famous for his performance at Woodstock in 1969. Hendrix then re-formed the Jimi Hendrix Experience in late 1970s (although he kept Cox at bass), in order to record his second-most famous album, the autobiographical Black Gold.
And although he would release further albums afterward, that would be getting into the second phase of the life of Jimi Hendrix. And there is still more to be said about the first phase.
Hendrix became heavily influenced by drugs. He took LSD, cocaine, etc., and his first five albums were arguably a result of these psychedelic drugs. However, drugs came to form the second phase of his life as well. "God writes straight with crooked lines" well describes the beginning of Hendrix's second phase of life.
This is the story of his second phase."
- The Prologue to Part II of Electric Ladyland: The Official Biography of Jimi Hendrix, by Julian Lennon, 1995
"The first time Jimi OD'd was in September 1970. At the time, we were just beginning to work on Black Gold. It was looking to be a good album. Although Billy [Cox] hadn't heard them yet, Jimi had played me his private recordings of some planned songs he wanted to make as the playlist for Black Gold, and I thought it was pretty great.
But then, like I said, Jimi overdosed. I think he was in London at the time. Oh, and another thing - he didn't overdose from illegal drugs, which so many people think he did. No, Jimi always told me it was sleeping pills that had done it. He took way to many, and he was found by his girlfriend throwing up a storm that night, so she took him to the hospital. He got treatment, and he was fine. But I think it scared him a little. He didn't take any drugs, legal or otherwise, for a little while.
Not forever, though. As soon as we got back to recording Black Gold in October and November, he was doing drugs again."
- Jimi Hendrix Experience Drummer Mitch Mitchells, on Jimi Hendrix
"Black Gold was a marvel, man. I mean, Jimi had told us about his life before, and some of his songs had been about his life before. But Black Gold was all about Jimi, and man, it was fantastic.
We worked really hard to get it out fast. We recorded all fifteen songs from late October to early November of that year, and we got a deal with the producing company real quick. The album was set to release on February 10th, 1971.
We were all feeling good about the album, Jimi especially. I think there was a sense of liberation that he was getting from the album, like he was finally getting the story out, or something like that.
The future was bright, man. Really bright. Experience was getting bigger and bigger, and it was looking like we could be reaching Beatles-level popularity sometime soon."
- Experience bassist Billy Cox
NEW HENDRIX ALBUM, "BLACK GOLD," RELEASED, MILLIONS OF COPIES ALREADY SOLD
- The New York Times, February 10th, 1971
Black Gold (1971) Tracklist
Side A:
1. Here Comes Black Gold
2. Suddenly November Morning
3. Drifting
4. Local Commotion
5. Stepping Stone
6. Little Red Velvet Room
7. Captain Midnight
2. Suddenly November Morning
3. Drifting
4. Local Commotion
5. Stepping Stone
6. Little Red Velvet Room
7. Captain Midnight
Side B:
1. The Jungle Is Waiting
2. Machine Gun
3. Send My Love to Joan of Arc
4. God Bless This Day
5. Astro Man Part I
6. Astro Man Part II
7. Black Gold
8. I've Got A Place To Go
2. Machine Gun
3. Send My Love to Joan of Arc
4. God Bless This Day
5. Astro Man Part I
6. Astro Man Part II
7. Black Gold
8. I've Got A Place To Go
"After Black Gold was released, we decided to go back on tour. It had been a year since he had last been in concert, and Jimi was already missing the crowds and the rock-and-roll. And we knew this would be a good time to give the album another boost. I mean, Black Gold was selling really well, in fact, I think it was selling the best of all the Hendrix albums yet - but we were hearing that John Lennon was going to be releasing a new album in September, and we knew business was going to be very competitive.
So we went on tour from May to August of '71. And Jimi was right. Thousands came to the gigs throughout the country, all the way from New York to California."
- Mitch Mitchells
~ ~ ~
Notes:
1. The tracklist posted in this update was taken from Wikipedia's page on Black Gold. However, I re-listed the songs in a different order, so as to make the list appear even more autobiographical for Jimi Hendrix.
2. There will be pictures for these updates; however, the pictures for this will be coming later this week or sometime next week.
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